Nick Saban has helped take Alabama football recruiting to new heights. Depending on which recruiting service you quote (and they all have some good qualities,) the Crimson Tide staff has three straight years of top 3 recruiting classes in the team rankings with a great chance at a fourth. Some have had Alabama number one in two of those three years. That number one ranking is certainly within reach again for the 2011 class. This year, coming off of the 2009 BCS National Championship, Alabama is recruiting even more elite players from around the country than ever before. Out of Alabama’s 130 known offers (occasionally some will stay under wraps but most offers are known not long after it happens,) only 12 of those players are from the state of Alabama. That’s only 9 percent, which is down from last season’s 14 percent at signing day for the 2010 class. The total number of offers is up as well. The final offer list for the 2010 class had 114 players. Bama is already at 130 with almost certainly more to come. [More]

JaMarcus Russell in Bama gear

Walking right past the press area where I sat near the aisle with columnist Monte Poole, I looked up as Ward was doing his work and saw . . . JaMarcus Russell. He was wearing a University of Alabama red leather jacket and a new red Alabama hat. He was wearing sunglasses. Maybe Russell thought nobody would recognize him, given that he went to LSU and that sunglasses aren’t necessary in an arena. [More]

Saint Xavier won the state championship last season in part due to an explosive running game, which was anchored by LaMont McMurry, a 2011 running back. McMurry, while slightly under the radar, has received quite a bit of attention from several programs. “I heard a lot from Alabama. Michigan, Illinois and Cincinnati are talking to me,” he said. “I didn’t hear from Notre Dame when Coach Weis was there, but now Coach Kelly is recruiting me. I’m going to visit them this week,” he said. McMurry also camped this weekend with defending BCS Champion, Alabama. “I felt like I did real good at Alabama. I got a chance to meet coach Saban. I thought he was a soft-spoken man. But when he started talking to us, I realized he was a hardcore coach. He means what he says,” said McMurry. [More]